A combined police-military team on Wednesday arrested a man suspected of killing anti-government protest leader Sutin Tharatin during an election protest at Wat Sri Iam on Jan 26.
Sutin, 52, a core leader of the People’s Democratic Force to Overthrow Thaksinism (Pefot), an ally of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), was shot dead and 10 other people injured in clashes near Wat Sri Iam in the Bang Na area as protesters sought to block voters from entering a polling station for advance voting.
The team arrested Surakrit Chaimongkol, 36, at his home in Samut Prakan’s Phra Pradaeng district in the early hours of the morning and seized an 11mm pistol in his possession.
A candle vigil is held to commemorate Sutin Tharatin, a core leader of one of the PDRC's allies who was gunned down in a clash outside a polling station in Bang Na on Jan 26. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)
Investigators said they could match two bullets and four spent shell casings to the weapon owned by Mr Surakrit and believed he was one of the gunmen who killed Sutin.
In an initial interrogation, the suspect admitted he owned the gun but denied he had shot Sutin. He claimed he was travelling to Wat Sri Iam to cast his vote at the time of the shooting and was not near the clash site. Police are continuing to question him.
Mr Surakrit is the first suspect arrested in the Sutin case. His arrest came a day after police obtained a warrant from Phra Khanong Provincial Court. Police also sought an arrest warrant for another man whose name was not released, but the court rejected their request citing a lack of evidence.
Police earlier issued an arrest warrant for an unidentified man caught by CCTV footage wearing a camouflage army shirt with a red scarf covering his nose and mouth. The footage showed him taking aim with a pistol in the direction of Sutin’s truck.
Assistant national police chief Chaiyong Keeratikhachorn said investigators checked police records for firearms-related offences and found a match of the bullets and casings collected from the shooting site to a gun owned by Mr Surakrit, who had previously been arrested for illegal possession of firearms.
Pol Lt Gen Chaiyong said Mr Surakrit was a member of Pefot’s rival political group.
Pefot and Sutin's family had earlier complained of a lack of progress in the police investigation into Sutin’s death despite the fact that video clips released on social media clearly showed a suspect.
Early last month, Sutin’s mother, Saroj Tharatin, petitioned the military junta to ensure justice was served over her son’s death.
Ms Saroj on Tuesday said there had been a change in the investigation team after the May 22 coup which gave her the hope that all the culprits would be arrested soon. She added that there had been little progress in the case in the past six months.